Category: Emo

Dusty Tucker’s ‘Twenty Whatever’ is some slick, emotive hard rock with some clear punk influences. The band describes their first full-length, The North Stone, as, “A western tale told in twelve tracks with heroes and villains and musical movements back to back.” There’s a lot going on here. Something about the track, probably the hyperbolic guitars and dramatic, higher register lead vocals, give the track a progressive … Continue reading Dusty Tucker’s ‘Twenty Whatever’ Is Slick, Expansive and Emotive Hard Rock

Cardinal’s ‘Tension Rod’ is tight, anxious indie rock with a sad, gruff take. These guys describe themselves as, “a five-piece rock band from Richmond, VA,” which “grew out of a mutual love for the dark, often brutal imagery of emo and the heaviness of post-hardcore.” The band’s style has shifted “over the years,” they say, “to embody a more straightforward sound that evokes an indie … Continue reading Cardinal’s ‘Tension Rod’ Is Solid, Anxious Virginia Emo

‘Five On It’ by Spielbergs is some crunchy, straightforward rock music out of Norway. These guys were “named in Stereogum’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2019 feature as well as in The Guardian’s Best New Music for 2019.” Their “debut album This Is Not The End comes out on Feb 1st.” The band brings a kind, nostalgic buzz to a cleanly composed alt rock track. Over … Continue reading ‘Five On It’ by Spielbergs Is Top-Notch Norwegian Alt Rock

‘The Broken Satellite’ by Nights Like Thieves is some sad, spacey alternative rock with a clear, dreamy vibe. These guys say they “started out in October of 2016 in San Diego, California. We self record, mix and mastered our own recordings and film and edit our own music videos.” They describe their sound as moving between “an upbeat, intricate and melodic vibe to a slower, … Continue reading ‘The Broken Satellite’ by Nights Like Thieves Is Some Strong SoCal Emo

Since When’s ‘The Straw’ is some gruff, sad pop punk out of the American Midwest. These guys describe themselves as, “a four-piece band from Wisconsin.” They say this “is the first song off of our first album, Heliconia.” These guys definitely know how to establish a sense of melancholy within the framework of a sweet, highly melodic punk track. In spite of their clear pop … Continue reading Since When’s ‘The Straw’ Is Powerful, Emotive Pop Punk

The Ten Year Program’s ‘Ambien Wet Dream’ is a dense, melodic take on post-hardcore. These guys describe themselves as, “a two-person collaboration, written, recorded and produced by Ian Richards,” who is responsible for music, arrangement, engineering and mastering, “and Jack McCracken” on vocals. Although the mix on here is a little rough, there’s a lot of cool stuff happening. The vocals are top-notch. They have … Continue reading The Ten Year Program’s ‘Ambien Wet Dream’ Is Dense, Melodic Alt Rock

Cursive’s ‘Remorse’ is an expansive, keys-heavy soundscape from the Nebraska heavyweights. As I’ve discussed before, these guys formed an important part of Nebraska’s indie rock scene in the nineties into the two-thousands. Since then, Tim Kasher has continued to lead this band on increasingly ambitious, broad projects in a pensive, experimental vein of rock music. This track certainly plays into that. Although it starts out … Continue reading Cursive’s ‘Remorse’ Is a Broad, Experimental Indie Soundscape

SVCRED’s ‘Nevermore’ is a slick, dramatic take on hard rock with a dark, decidedly Gothic approach. These guys say they have “become a regular fixture of the Melbourne metal scene,” and that their “unique blend of groove laden riffs and gothic ambience continues to captivate their audiences.” They say this track, which is “inspired in part by Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’… is about the … Continue reading SVCRED’s ‘Nevermore’ Is a Tight, Clean Take on Goth Rock

‘What’s the Plan’ by The Flips is some glum, sparkly pop punk out of Chicago. “The themes of mental health appear often in my songwriting,” says frontman Nick Sintos. This track “literally refers to a getting on a treatment plan for depression and anxiety,” he says. These guys take a nice, expansive approach to the gritty, eclectic and brutally honest pop punk brought to the … Continue reading ‘What’s the Plan’ by The Flips Is Sad, Understated Chicago Pop Punk